USB Soundblaster headphone socket

The headphone socket on my laptop doesn't work any more (house party mishap), so I've been having to use the headphone socket on my external soundblaster card.
After trawling the forums I've managed to get it to turn on automatically and listed it as the primary sound card. Excellent.
But the headphone socket on the card doesn't work??
I remember from windows that it acts like a separate module as there always had to be a little driver tweaking ( even when the soundcard worked with my speakers, it still didn't play with headphones), it always required me to download the official soundblaster driver to use it.
aplay -l returns nothing extra
lsmod | grep usb - returns snd-usb-audio and snd_usbmidi_lib (only noteworthy)
aplay --list-pcms
default:CARD=External
SB Live! 24-bit External, USB Audio
Default Audio Device
sysdefault:CARD=External
SB Live! 24-bit External, USB Audio
Default Audio Device
front:CARD=External,DEV=0
SB Live! 24-bit External, USB Audio
Front speakers
surround40:CARD=External,DEV=0
SB Live! 24-bit External, USB Audio
4.0 Surround output to Front and Rear speakers
surround41:CARD=External,DEV=0
SB Live! 24-bit External, USB Audio
4.1 Surround output to Front, Rear and Subwoofer speakers
surround50:CARD=External,DEV=0
SB Live! 24-bit External, USB Audio
5.0 Surround output to Front, Center and Rear speakers
surround51:CARD=External,DEV=0
SB Live! 24-bit External, USB Audio
5.1 Surround output to Front, Center, Rear and Subwoofer speakers
surround71:CARD=External,DEV=0
SB Live! 24-bit External, USB Audio
7.1 Surround output to Front, Center, Side, Rear and Woofer speakers
iec958:CARD=External,DEV=0
SB Live! 24-bit External, USB Audio
IEC958 (S/PDIF) Digital Audio Output
Anything significant there?
Is there a parameter that I can use to turn on a headphone socket on an external soundcard? Surely I can't be the only one with this problem, a laptop without a headphone socket is a huge problem for me... I hope someone can help!
Cheers
Last edited by jpjenkins (2014-03-28 21:00:23)

I found a handy little sound device analyser from alsa
wget http://www.alsa-project.org/alsa-info.sh -O alsa-info.sh && bash alsa-info.sh
I spotted this in the output:
!!Amixer output
!!-------Mixer controls for card 0 [External]
Card hw:0 'External'/'Creative Technology SB Live! 24-bit External at usb-0000:00:1d.0-1, full speed'
Mixer name : 'USB Mixer'
Components : 'USB041e:3040'
Controls : 7
Simple ctrls : 4
Simple mixer control 'PCM',0
Capabilities: pvolume pvolume-joined pswitch pswitch-joined
Playback channels: Mono
Limits: Playback 0 - 100
Mono: Playback 83 [83%] [-8.50dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Mic',0
Capabilities: cvolume cvolume-joined
Capture channels: Mono
Limits: Capture 0 - 15
Mono: Capture 0 [0%] [0.00dB]
Simple mixer control 'CMSS LED',0
Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined
Playback channels: Mono
Mono: Playback [on]
Simple mixer control 'Power LED',0
Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined
Playback channels: Mono
Mono: Playback [on]
Notice it says Controls: 7... Simple: 4.
Would that imply that there are capabilities of the device that haven't been assigned?
This is the full code that I got from it: http://www.alsa-project.org/db/?f=20614 … 8816236742
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Cheers

Similar Messages

Headphone socket - repai

I too found that the headphone socket was distorting the sound on my zen micro. But rather than sending it back to Creative for repair, I decided to fix it myself. This is really easy to do.
I used the following link:
http://www.hardwarezone.com/articles/view.php?id=33&cid=9&pg=2
and in particular dissassembly step to remove the plastic cover hiding the headphone socket.
I then took a piece of 0.5mm plastic; in this case I used a piece of white plastic from a tropicana orange juice container.
On my Zen I noticed that, with the headphones plugged in, if the socket moved towards the silver headphone icon printed on the main body of the unit the sound was distorted.
So I used a small flat head screwdriver to widen the space between the socket and the main body (only slightly) and I inserted a very small piece of the plastic into the space.
I then replaced the plastic cover adding a bit of glue to hold everything in place.
You'd never know from looking, but I have completely solved the problem. I can understand why some people would prefer to send the unit away for repair, but I think that the repaired unit will only develop the same problem since it is caused by sideways pressure exerted on the headphone socket by the headphone jack.

OK,
First you need to figure out the direction of socket movement that results in sound distortion.
Now, place the zen face up on a table. The creative logo is facing you and is the right way up. Now rotate the unit 80 degrees and look at the usb interface/headphone socket.
Having removed the plastic cover I inserted the screwdriver in between the headphone socket and the little silver headphone symbol. This symbol should be upside down.
Perhaps if you are unsure you could use the same screwdriver and simply insert it into the headphone socket but since there are connecting parts inside I wanted to avoid this. You only really need to perform this part if you can't fit a bit of plastic snugly in the gap.
Post back if you are still unsure.
If you look closely at the second to last picture on this page:
http://www.hardwarezone.com/articles/view.php?id=33&cid=9&pg=2
you can see that there is a gap going all the way round the headphone socket. It is the movement of the socket into this gap that causes the problems. My sound was distorted when I moved the socket (with headphones plugged in) DOWN (when looking at this photo.)So I used the screwdriver to gently lift UP the socket to expose a bit more of gap and I pushed the bit of plastic in. Be careful not to force it.Message Edited by litotes on 04-24-2006 :07 AM

No audio via headphone socket - Mac Mini

2010 Mac Mini 10.6.8
No output via the headphone jack. Audio is working OK via internal speaker / HDMI / Bluetooth / Airplay.
There is a signal going through the socket and cable as noise can be heard (squeal, squeaks, etc, but not a distinguishable output)
1) Disconnected all USB's etc
2) Rebooted with different cables for audio and HDMI
3) Reset PRAM
4) Apple Hardware Test - all OK
5) Tech Tool Test - all OK
6) Checked all setting in Audio Midi/sound preferences
Any ideas? - Thanks

Trip to Apple store and Genius Bar (Genius my a**e!), where I had a 2 hour wait, 20 minutes with the Genius (I use the term lightly) to be told what I already knew, plus he thinks the headphone output is connected to main logic board and that will cost almost £300 for parts. Dream-on!
On the way home I purchased a £8 Toslink cable (same was £32 in Apple store) plugged it in and hey presto - perfect sound.
So it looks like the headphone socket is stuck in digital mode.
Well at least it's a marginal improvement. Now off to research & establish how many other folks report same issue.

Headphone socket with light shin

hmmm my sis and i both have zen micros, but her micro's headphone socket has light shining through it, it has a small gap where u can see the backlight of the player shining through, but yet, her both headphone sides still work(hope im not jinxing hers and mine). If mine doesnt show it, does this mean my headphone jack might be reinforced? or is it the other way around? or it doesnt matter, u just can tell?

Did she buy it used? or has the warranty tag been removed yet?
This is because there's a little steel bracket (shell) that fits over the usb and headphone connecter inside..
Without this, you can see the light through the player..
I'll show pictures in a minute.. wait
edit: It doesn't seem to have any structural advantage, it looks like its just there to keep the light out, and keep any garbage from getting in the player through the usb or headphone portMessage Edited by superlack on 07-2-2005 2:49 AM

Headphone Socket Problem - on Zen Micro Photo (not Zen Mic

Hi folks,I'm having a wee problem with the headphone socket on my Zen MicroPhoto, similar to that described in this threadhttp://forums.creative.com/showthrea...=654536#M40796 However, this was for the Zen Micro not the Photo. I've tried the DIY method of sorting out the headphone socket (by partial disassembly) but I think that there's no plastic strip where the socket, on/off switch and USB port are housed and that it's part of the main casing instead (which is probably part of the reason the MicroPhoto hasn't has as many problems with the headphone socket in the first place, as in it's a more sturdy structure...but it's obviously come loose for me). So...any hints as to what I might be able to do Anyone had the same problem Bearing in mind I bought it over a year ago now and it was second hand anyway (and thus the warranty is no longer valid). Thanks! RL

In this forum you'll find a lot of threads about connecting problems. Use search function. There are already some solutions or proposals how to solve.

Iphone 4 headphone socket not working headphones won't go all the way in

My iphone 4 headphone socket not working, the headphones won't go all the way in? any help, ideas?

I bough a new ipad two a few feels ago and still haven't managed to used any headphones with it.
It's very annoying as I'm currently in hospital and will be for a few more weeks and this being the reason I bought it!! Now I have to have it on very low volume and not use it in the evening

IPhone 4 ear speaker not working after 2 restores and cleaning the headphone socket.

Hi,
I know this problem is not uncommon, but here goes...
I have an iPhone 4 which was running iOS 5.1.1 a few days ago when the ear speaker stopped working. I cant hear the other person when I make or recieve a call, but nothing else is wrong with the phone. It is 18 months old.
I've searched the discussions and seen some of the suggestions. I tried cleaning out the headphone socket, with no luck. I then tried a full restore and update to iOS 6. This appeared to have worked. I tried 2 calls and I could hear the other person. I then left the phone alone for a couple of hours and when I tried it again, it had stopped working again.
I have since done another full restore but the speaker is still not working at all. The fact that it worked after the first restore suggests it's something simple or software related but I have no idea what else to try other than getting it repaired in a shop. The problem is I am in Japan where my network (Softbank) and an independent repair shop have both quoted me the equivalent of $176 / £110 to fix it.
Does anyone know anything else I can try before I give in and end up shelling out this ridiculous cost for something that is probably a 20 minute fix?
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks

I have the exact same problem with my ear speaker after my IOS 6 upgrade. My speakers work, bluetooth works, the earphones work, but the ear speaker doesn’t work. I noticed this IMMEDIATELY after the upgrade was completed. I also have the following problems:
-Very slow call connect time. 30 - 45 seconds just to connect is typical. Signal strength is 5 bars (ATT)
-Problems attaching to known networks
-Very slow internet browsing with many timeouts on both the ATT 3G service and known Wi-Fi networks.
- My camera was missing after the IOS 6 upgrade. I restored that from Restrictions inside of the Settings App
- Music was so screwed up it was easier to just restore it
I went to the Apple store hoping to get some support. Between my wife, my son, and myself we have purchased 4 iPhones and an iPad over the last few years with plans to purchase another iPad in a month or so. So it’s not like I' not familiar with Apple Technology and their typical level of support.
The individual who waited on me was rude and condescending. He insisted that all of the problems were hardware related or ATT’s fault, or my fault. He further asserted that IOS 6 had NOTHING to do with any of the problems. I pointed out that it would be quite a coincidence for my hardware to break, for ATT to have network problems, and for me to suddenly forget how to use an iPhone at the same exact moment that IOS 6 had been installed. He maintained his position and offered to sell me another phone.
I don’t expect the folks in the store to reprogram the OS. Mistakes happen. I’m going to guess that Apple’s OS programmers are already working on a fix for many of the IOS 6 complaints that are easy to find on Google. Assigning blame to the customer and denying any responsibility is not a model for success or customer service. I’m sure Apple wouldn’t accept that kind of excuse from their component manufacturers and don’t think it is how they should deal with their customers. Further, Apple wants to own the device. They want to control the apps, the OS, battery, the delivery channel. I’m good with that so long as when there is a problem, they own that as well.
And BTW… I’m not including the maps in my list of issues with IOS 6 because I kind of like the new maps and am willing to give Apple the benefit of the doubt. I believe that their map service will get a lot better in a hurry.

Since I updated to 5.0.1 on my iPad2 my Apogee One no longer works correctly. I get loud pops and crackles and my monitoring has changed completely. I can no longer monitor through the Ipad headphone socket

On previous ioS Garageband worked perfectly. The crackles now make it impossible to record with an external mic or with the built-in mic on the One. I used to be able to monitor via headphones plugged into the ipad headphone socket. Now when I plug the Apogee one into the iPad camera port I get sound for 1-2 secs and then nothing. The only way I can monitor then is through the Apogee One headaphone connection but it is loud and distorted.

Minor update: I have multiple PC's in my office. This same iPad and other apple devices properly work and sync with their connection to this other computer. Both computers are running the 64bit iTunes and both have Windows 7 64bit OS running on both machines. I tried deactivating firewalls and even deleted the iTunes with a fresh installation with no avail.
Something is keeping my Apple mobile devices (iPods, iPads) from being recognized within iTunes. However, they all are properly recognized by my PC.

Nano video output via headphone socket?

Can the new Nano video output to the TV via the headphone socket, like my iPod Video 80g?
Thanks.

Trip to Apple store and Genius Bar (Genius my a**e!), where I had a 2 hour wait, 20 minutes with the Genius (I use the term lightly) to be told what I already knew, plus he thinks the headphone output is connec ted to main logic board and that will cost almost £300 for parts. Dream-on!
On the way home I purchased a £8 Toslink cable (£32 in Apple store) plugged it in and hey presto - perfect sound.
So it looks like the headphone socket is stuck in digital mode.
Well at least it's getting better. Now off to research & establish how many other folks report same issue.

I have a iPad and I connect it to my tv through hdmi but would like the sound to come out through the headphone socket, can I make this happen

I have a iPad and I connect it to my tv through hdmi but would like the sound to come out through the headphone socket, can I make this happen.

Go to System Preferences>Sound>Output and make sure that you selected the right output. I think if yo use HDMI you might not be abe to select another output.

Is there a way to play video through HDMI and have the audio via the headphone socket?

I would like to be able to play movies through the HDMI adapter to a projector, but to have the audio via the headphone socket to a separate audio system. What I find is that as soon as I connect the projector via HDMI, the audio via the headphone sockeet is cut off. Any ideas?

Yes, there is a very simple way to get audio out through the iPad headphone jack even while connected to HDMI to play movies on a projector or TV. In fact, I just did it last night for a presentation.
With the HDMI adapter connected to the projector and your audio jack plugged into your iPad headphone jack, go ahead and start the movie. Then simply unplug the headphone jack and plug it back in. The audio is now routed through the headphone jack again.
I found I only had to do this once per session. That is, Iwas able to stop the movie, go to the beginning of my presentation, wait the 20 minutes for the meeting to begin, and when I got to the video clip the audio still played out through the headphone jack to the PA system.
I had built a presentation in a Web oriented training tool and it was running on Safari iOS7 with the latest update. I have not tried it with Keynote yet.
iPad mini (original version)

Problem with Headphone socket

There is some problem with the headphone socket of my nokia lumai 920. One headset is not working. But the headset is working fine in other phones.
What is the possible solution for this?

Sachin1028 wrote:
Hi,
Restatrting the phone fixed the issue. Dont know what happened actually or if the problem will occur again or not.
Good to hear that. Reminds me to start from the basics first

Is there still a possible headphone socket fault in a "new" zen mic

Hi
i want to buy a zen micro 6gig...because of its great soundquality and price....the only thing that holds me back are reports about a headphone socket fault. But those reports are from march...so im wondering if there is still a "more-than-normal" risk to get a damaged headphone socket with a micro?
tobi

Ordinarily I would say there's no real evidence either way about a fixed jack. But we keep getting emails from people at Creative, that are posted by users here, that say that the jack has been revised. So it does sound like there's a body of evidence that the jack has been upgraded.

Distorted audio from headphone socket after iOS 5 update!

Hi,
I have an iPad2, and just yesterday updated my iOS to version 5.1.
Everything went fine until I checked some audio via my headphone socket this morning. It was grossly overdistorted. I used another pair of headphones and the same thing happened, it either didn't work or cut out, or was grossly distorted. I then checked each headphones and found they worked well on my iPhone.
So is this a problem with the software or my iPad? Anyone have an idea? I don't want to pay for repair if this is an update issue.
Thanks
M

Thank you for that suggestion, but it didn't work. I still get distorted, broken up audio.
Any other suggestions?
Thanks,
M

Static when connecting to hifi via headphone socket.

When I connect my Macbook Pro to a hifi with a phono to 3.5 cable via the headphone socket, I get a horrible hissing.
This only happens when my Macbook is plugged in, and it is even louder than the sounds it should be producing. Like if I'm playing a song in iTunes at full volume, and then connect it to the hifi, the hissing would be several times louder than the music playing.
It doesn't happen when I unplug the power adaptor.
I have tried it with numerous 3.5-phono cables with the same outcome, and I've used various other sources instead of the macbook such as iPod/cd players and they all play fine.
Anyone know what can be done about this?
I have PC speakers which work fine with it.
Also recently my headphone socket seems a lot more...delicate (I haven't slept in a while and can't think of the word - sorry).
Basically when I first got my mbp it was fine, but now if whatever is being plugged into the socket is nudged slightly, it will cut out temporarily. This happens regardless of what is being plugged in.
Thanks

I also have a macbook pro and an Apple Hi Fi. For one thing, you have to baby the Hi Fi, they can be pretty finicky and delicate and it doesn't take much for them to malfunction which I believe is part of the reason that Apple discontinued them. I also use a 3.5mm jack- 3.5mm jack to connect my macbook pro to my hifi and have no issues. Now what it sounds like is going on is that the issue is on the Macbook Pro side of things. How old is your MBP? Is there any light emitting from the audio jack on the laptop, as that can be an indicator of trouble. I get that hissing sound too so I'm pretty sure I know what yours is caused by. Basically, when a 3.5mm audio cord is plugged into the Hi Fi on one end but not properly into something at the other end, and the unplugged (or partially plugged) cord touches something else conductive/metal it will hiss really loudly. This should only occur when the Hi Fi's volume is turned up. Have you checked any other devices (output) like another speaker if possible to see if your mac's audio out port (the one with the headphone icon on it) is broken or malfunctioning. I am using a Belkin 3.5mm-3.5mm audio cord and it works well. So I'm guessing the issue is your audio-out but if all else fails it is possible to connect a macbook pro to a Hi Fi with a Toslink fiber optic cord. I don't know why this would fix the problem but if you truly have no issues with any other input to the hi fi and you have tried multiple audio cords (when audio cords get worn in my experience they will cause problems too, but that problem would likely present as getting single-channel audio interference (which would sound like listening to an ipod with headphone) then maybe a digital audio cord is the way to go. On top of that, a digital audio cord would dramatically improve the volume and sound quality (its roughly the difference in sound between listening to music on a docked ipod vs. plugging an ipod in via the audio out auxiliary jack). But, I would say your likeliest problem is the connection between the audio cord and the audio out port on the macbook pro. Hope this all helps!

USB Soundblaster headphone socket

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for